LIVES OF THE LANTERN BEARERS 



O all wild creatures fire is an un- 

 known and hated thing, although 

 it is often so fascinating to them 

 that they will stand transfixed 

 gazing at its mysterious light, while 

 a hunter, unnoticed, creeps up be- 

 hind and shoots them. 

 In the depth of the sea, where the sun 

 is powerless to send a single ray of light and 

 warmth, there live many strange beings, fish 

 and worms, which, by means of phosphorescent spots and 

 patches, may light their own way. Of these strange sea 

 folk we know nothing except from the fragments which 

 are brought to the surface by the dredge; but over our 

 fields and hedges, throughout the summer nights, we may 

 see and study most interesting examples of creatures 

 which produce their own light. Heedless of whether the 



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